• Four longs years.

    Two different high schools.

    Troubles too numerous to count.
    Tonight it all comes to a close. So many things have gone right and so many things have gone wrong, but tonight it all comes to a close.

    ~~~

    A young woman is standing in front of the mirror. She is dressed in a black dress and heels with her hair braided because of the heat. Her cap and gown lay across her bed. Everything is ready but is she?

    She's been excitedly anticipating and dreading this day for months now. Somehow during the past four years it seemed high school would never end. The days drug on. The teachers never let up. It had been a challenge to stay in school. But somehow she had and now she was going to go through the ceremony of leaving. She highly doubted she would ever walk through the school doors again once she left tonight.

    *knock, knock*

    The girl looks up from her thinking upon the unexpected noise of the door. Slowly it creaks open to reveal a middle aged woman with a big smile and understanding eyes.

    "Ready?" she questions though she knows what the response will be.

    "As I'll ever be mom."

    "I'm proud of you, you know." and with those words she gives one of her legendary hugs. The ones that gave strength to her daughter when she was unsure.

    With that the girl smiles into her mom's chest. Everything will be ok. She walks quietly to her room and finishes dressing. Soon she is in the car and then on the football field. Waiting, waiting, waiting until she hears her name. The call that gives her the freedom she's worked so hard to attain.

    She nearly trips. She doesn't. She nearly cries She cries in the car when they leave. She feels elated. She screams in joy with the rest pf her classmates.

    So many new beginnings tonight. For her life. For her love.

    Tonight was the beginning of the rest of her life.